As a church community, you have a unique opportunity to bring compassion and practical support to children and families involved in the child protection system. Every small step can have a big impact. Here are three simple but powerful ways your church can make a meaningful difference for vulnerable children in your own backyard this year.

1) Start the conversation

Awareness is the first step. Choose at least one moment in the calendar this year to start a conversation in your church about the needs within the Out-of-Home Care space and the opportunities for everyone to get involved in some way.

Some ideas include:

• Preach a sermon focused on God’s heart for vulnerable children.
• Include a foster care focus in your annual missions service as a local area of mission.
• Play a video story (we’ve created some ready-to-use resources for you!).
• Interview a carer from within your church community to share their story.

Mark the calendar! Foster Care Sunday is September 14th 2025.
We’ve got you covered with creative assets, talking points and next steps for your congregation – request the Foster Care Sunday toolkit by emailing us as hello@homewardproject.org

2) Support current care families

There may be foster, kinship or permanent carers who are part of your church but feel unseen. Small gestures can make a big difference in showing these families they are valued and supported.

Here’s how your church can help:

The free Caring for Carers resource provides guidance and ideas for supporting care families. This includes how to create Wrap-Around Teams to provide holistic, ongoing support for carers. Our free resource will guide a carer’s ‘team’ through a practical conversation on how to journey alongside these families.

3) Equip your children’s ministry team

Your children’s ministry team is on the frontline of welcoming kids from all walks of life. For children from hard places, inclusive and trauma-informed care can make all the difference.

The Homeward Project’s free trauma-informed training will equip your staff and volunteer team to:

• Understand how trauma impacts behaviour,
• build trust and connection, and
• create a safe, inclusive environment where every child feels they belong.

By investing in this training, your church can create a space where children who’ve experienced trauma encounter the tangible love of Christ.

Every church has the capacity to make a difference – whether through a single step or the development of a dedicated ministry. The Homeward Project is here to support you with ideas, resources, connections, and ongoing coaching to help you engage in the Out-of-Home Care space.

Join the movement of churches committed to serving vulnerable children and families in their local community. Together, we can start writing a more positive story in our child protection systems.

Let’s make 2025 a turning point where churches across Australia unite to reflect God’s heart for vulnerable children and families. 

Find out more below or get in touch with us at hello@homewardproject.org